Conn. Civ. Jury Instr. 1.2-2

First day:

We will now adjourn the trial for the day. Remember that you must obey the rules of juror

conduct. You will be going home to people who will be curious about the case and about the

trial. Remember that you have taken an oath that obligates you not to talk to anyone about the

trial or its issues until after you have rendered a verdict. That means that you cannot talk to

members of your family about it. There are no exceptions.

Though your oath should be reason enough to obey this instruction, let me suggest to you a

further, practical reason. If you were to violate your oath and discuss the case at home or with

others, they might give you ideas or details from some similar circumstances, and then you

would have the problem, when you start your deliberations, of trying to sort out which

information you heard in the courtroom and which you heard somewhere else. Jurors often find

deciding issues to be difficult enough without having the added problem of trying to filter out

information that they obtained improperly and that was not part of the trial.

Do not talk to anyone about the case nor let anyone talk to you about it. Honor the oath you have

taken.

Likewise, you should not seek any information outside of the evidence being presented at trial.

Do not visit any location that has been mentioned. Do not look anything up, do any research or

perform any investigation. Remember that your obligation will be to decide the case on the basis

of the evidence that is presented in this courtroom and only on that evidence.

If there is any media coverage of this case, likewise you are not to read it or watch it or listen to

it.

Subsequent days:

Remember that you must abide by the rule of juror conduct that I described to you at the

beginning of this trial, and the instructions I gave you at the end of the first day of trial.